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District of Columbia

D.C. jury convicts man for hate crime assault against gay couple

Attacker targeted male victims after seeing them holding hands

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1 year ago

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A D.C. Superior Court jury on Dec. 12 found a 42-year-old District man guilty of two counts of bias related assault against a gay male couple on Aug. 3 after seeing the men holding hands outside the 9:30 Club in the Shaw neighborhood.

Court records show the jury also found the attacker, Franklin Siate, guilty of the offense of attempted threats against a female employee of the 9:30 Club after the woman and witnesses said he threatened to rape and murder her a short time before he targeted the two gay men.

Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro, who presided over Siate’s trial, scheduled a sentencing hearing for Feb. 10.

Under D.C.’s hate crimes law, the judge has the authority to hand down a sentence one and a half times greater than the maximum sentence for the underlying charge of assault to which he was convicted in connection with the attack against the two gay men.

Matthew Graves, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia who serves as the city’s chief prosecutor, referred to Siate’s conviction and his office’s efforts to prosecute hate crimes at a Dec. 20 press briefing on D.C. crime trends for 2024 in response to a question from the Washington Blade about hate crimes.

“On the night of August 3, 2024, Siate verbally and then physically accosted multiple people outside the 9:30 Club,” a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s office says. “First, he approached a line of patrons waiting to enter the concert venue for a Taylor Swift Dance Party and started yelling at them,” the statement says.

“He then turned his attention to a 9:30 Club employee and threatened to rape and murder her,” the statement continues. “He then saw two men walking by, holding hands, and acting affectionately towards one another.” The statement adds, “Siate followed them down the block saying, ‘Gays cannot hold hands in my city.’ You’re in my living room, yelling a slur at them.” 

According to the statement, Siate then “picked up a large sign outside of another establishment, lifted it over his head, and charged toward the two men.” It says a D.C. police officer arrived just in time to stop Siate from physically hitting the men with the sign.

Under the D.C. criminal code, the actions by Siate against the two gay men and the woman employee of the 9:30 Club constitute a criminal offense of  assault and threat of violence even though there was no reported physical contact.

Court records show that Siate was released on the day following his arrest on his own recognizance while awaiting trial. But the records show he was arrested on a new, unrelated charge on Aug. 31 for allegedly threatening a man with a knife and assaulting a police officer. The records show he has been held in jail since that time and will remain in custody until at least the time of his Feb. 10 sentencing hearing.

The Blade reached out to the couple who were victims in the incident. They requested to be identified only by their first names, Collin, 28, and his partner, Clayton, 29.

Collin said he and Clayton went to the 9:30 Club with the hope of buying tickets for the Taylor Swift Dance Party performance, but they quickly learned  the tickets were sold out. He said the two men then began walking away from the 9:30 club when Siate saw then holding hands and began to harass them.

“He started off by saying gays can’t hold hands in D.C.,” Collin recounted. “And then he said gays can’t hold hands in my city,” according to Collin, who added, “And then he started following us. I told him to get away from us. He said, you’re in my living room and then he proceeded to call us ‘faggots’ twice.”

A short time later, as the couple were approaching a nearby ice cream shop called Coneacopia, Siate picked up a sign outside the shop and “started charging at us” with the two men fearing he was about to hit them with the sign, Collin told the Blade. At that time, a D.C. police officer arrived on the scene in his patrol car after Collin called 911 and waved at the officer as he approached the scene.

As the police officer arrived Siate “runs up to the police officer and tells the officer that we were harassing him and that we were throwing rocks at him,” Collin said. But after the officer took a full statement from Collin and Clayton, he put Siate in handcuffs, Collin said. He said after the first officer and other police officers who arrived on the scene and spoke with witnesses, they placed Siate under arrest.

According to Collin, “It came out to be a good evening after all the craziness.” He said 9:30 Club employees, who witnessed much of the interaction between Siate, and the two gay men unfold, told Collin and Clayton, “We’re so sorry this happened to you guys. You can come in,” allowing them to attend the Taylor Swift Dance Party show despite its sold-out status.

D.C. police records, meanwhile, show that as of Oct. 31 of this year, the most recent data available, the assault against Collin and Clayton outside the 9:30 Club was one of 40 anti-LGBTQ hate crimes reported for 2024.

The data shows that 22 of the reported incidents were based on the victim’s sexual orientation and 18 of the hate crime incidents were based on the victim’s gender identity.

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District of Columbia

Blade contributor, husband exchange vows in D.C.

Yariel Valdés and Kevin Vega held ceremony at Jefferson Memorial on March 23

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22 hours ago

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March 30, 2026

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Kevin Vega and Yariel Valdés (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

Washington Blade contributor Yariel Valdés and his husband, Kevin Vega, exchanged vows at the Jefferson Memorial on March 23.

The couple married in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Nov. 24, 2025. The Jefferson Memorial ceremony — which Blade International News Editor Michael K. Lavers and Samy Nemir Olivares officiated — coincided with the third anniversary of Yariel and Kevin’s first date.

Yariel in 2019 asked for asylum in the U.S. because of the persecution he suffered as a journalist in his native Cuba. He spent nearly a year in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody before his release on March 4, 2020.

Yariel wrote a series of articles about his time in ICE custody that the Blade published. The series was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in 2022.

Yariel and Kevin live in South Florida.

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District of Columbia

‘Out for McDuffie’ event held at D.C. gay bar

Mayoral candidate cites record of longtime support for LGBTQ rights

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1 day ago

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March 30, 2026

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D.C. mayoral candidate Kenyan McDuffie held a meet and greet at Number 9 last week. (Washington Blade photo by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.)

More than 100 people filled the upstairs room of the D.C. gay bar Number 9 on Thursday night, March 26, to listen to D.C. mayoral candidate Kenyan McDuffie at an event promoted as an “Out for McDuffie”  meet and greet session.

Several local LGBTQ activists who attended the event said they support McDuffie, a former D.C. Council member, in his run for mayor while others said they had not yet decided whom to vote for in the June 16 D.C. Democratic primary election.

As of March 27, eight other Democrats were competing against McDuffy in the June 16 primary, including D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4), considered McDuffie’s lead opponent. Lewis George also has a record of strong support on LGBTQ issues.  

Most political observers consider McDuffie and Lewis George the two lead candidates in the race, with the others having far less name recognition.

The two lead organizers of the Out for McDuffie event were LGBTQ rights advocates Courtney Snowden, a former D.C. deputy mayor in the administration of Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Cesar Toledo, a local LGBTQ youth housing services advocate.

“I’m a candidate for mayor of Washington, D.C. and I’m running for mayor because I love this city,” McDuffie told the gathering after being introduced by Snowden. “And now more than ever we need leadership to take us to the future,” he said, adding that he and his administration would “stand up and fight” against President Donald Trump’s efforts to intervene in local D.C. affairs. 

“Our strength is in the 700,000 beautifully diverse residents of Washington, D.C.” he told the gathering. “And as Courtney said, I didn’t just show up and run for mayor and then start saying that I’m going to be an ally for the queer community, for the LGBTQ+ community,” he said, “I’ve lived my entire professional life fighting for justice and fighting for fairness.”

Following  his speech, McDuffie told the Washington Blade, “We’re going to fight to protect our LGBTQ+ community every single day. That’s what I’ve spent my career doing, making sure we have a beautifully diverse and inclusive city.”

He remained at Number 9, located at 1435 P St., N.W., for nearly an hour after he spoke, chatting with attendees.      

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District of Columbia

‘No Kings’ protests set for D.C.

Anti-Trump demonstrations to take place across country on Saturday

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5 days ago

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March 26, 2026

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A 'No Kings' protest took place in D.C. on Oct. 18, 2025. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

As President Donald Trump and his administration escalate rhetoric targeting transgender youth and student athletes, push efforts to restrict voting access for millions of Americans, and pursue foreign policy decisions that critics say bypass congressional authority, organizers across the country are once again mobilizing in protest.

For many LGBTQ advocates, the moment feels especially urgent.

In recent months, activists have pointed to a surge in anti-trans legislation, attacks on gender-affirming care, and efforts to roll back nondiscrimination protections as direct threats to the safety and visibility of queer and trans communities. Organizers say the demonstrations are not just about policy, but about defending the right of LGBTQ people — particularly trans youth and people of color — to live openly and safely.

Thousands of “No Kings” protests are planned nationwide, with multiple demonstrations set to take place in D.C.

One of the primary events, “No Kings Washington,” will be held in Anacostia, an overwhelmingly Black area of D.C. that is often at the center of conversations around racial justice, policing, and access to resources in the nation’s capital.

The protest in Anacostia is focused on what organizers describe as the “power behind the throne,” specifically Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor. Miller has been closely associated with the administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, including the family separation practice that resulted in thousands of children being separated from their parents at the Southern border.

Activists have also linked immigration enforcement policies to broader concerns about LGBTQ migrants, including queer asylum seekers who often face heightened risks of violence and discrimination both in their home countries and within detention systems.

Anacostia protest details:

Participants are asked to gather starting at 1:30 p.m. on the southeast side of the Frederick Douglass Bridge. The closest Metro station is Anacostia on the Green Line, about an 8-minute walk from the starting point. Organizers strongly encourage attendees to use public transportation, as street parking is limited.

The march will proceed past Fort McNair and conclude near the Waterfront Metro station.

D.C. icon and LGBTQ activist Rayceen Pendarvis is set to speak at the protest around 2 p.m.

Kalorama protest details:

A separate protest will take place earlier in the day in Kalorama, a neighborhood long associated with political power and home to presidents, cabinet officials, and foreign ambassadors. Demonstrators are expected to gather at 10 a.m., with a march running until approximately noon near the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Kalorama Road.

Arlington/National Mall protest details:

Another group is expected to assemble at Memorial Circle near Arlington National Cemetery at 10 a.m. before crossing the Memorial Bridge into D.C., passing the Lincoln Memorial and continuing on to the Washington Monument. Organizers say the march is intended to defend “American democracy, the rule of law, and a healthy planet.”

Unlike last June — when organizers discouraged large-scale demonstrations in D.C. due Trump’s military/birthday parade — activists are now explicitly calling on people to show up in the nation’s capital and surrounding areas.

The protests also coincide with Transgender Day of Visibility weekend, which includes additional gatherings and celebrations on the National Mall. At the same time, peak bloom for the National Cherry Blossom Festival is expected to draw large crowds to the city. With multiple major events happening simultaneously, officials and organizers anticipate significant congestion, increased traffic, and crowded public transit throughout the weekend.

Organizers are urging participants to plan ahead and come prepared.

“Bring your signs, noisemakers, music, and creative ideas, and gather in joyful, nonviolent protest,” they said. “Children are very welcome.”

For more information, visit nokings.org.

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